HALF A MILLIONAIRE

About three summers ago, our backyard was blackened by a grass fire because it was very hot and dry. The firefighting captain concluded that the fire was probably started by a live cigarette butt tossed by a careless stranger. He also pointed out that there was a great amount of dead grass on the yard providing fuel for the fire to spread so fast. Because we were deeply traumatized by it, we could not stay in the house. Therefore, we moved in with our relatives for several days to avoid the messy and depressive scene. We slowly regained our sense of reality by talking about how lucky we were for being home on that day. We felt thankful for our neighbors’ warning and assistance. Our spirit was broken but not dead. A few months later, the grass grew back, but the memory of the horrific experience was indelible. We had to find a way to prevent it from happening again.

I began to study about grass fires. I learned that the common cause was the accumulation of foliage. Then, I read about lawn care and maintenance. Finally, I realized that the man whom I hired to take care of my yard used a lawn mower without mulching capability. Therefore, dead grass had been piling up on my yard for about two years. I fired him and took the matter in my own hands. I purchased a Yard Machine mower ($180) and a Homelite trimmer ($80). With the help of my father-in-law, I scalped away the debris on the lawn, allowing new grass to bud.

I am living in a rich neighborhood, where everyone pays for lawn service. My next door neighbor was surprised when he saw me cutting the grass for the first time. He warned me that it would be very tiring when the heat intensifies during the summer. Also, I did not know how to use the gas trimmer because it was very difficult to start. I thought about paying someone to do it for me, but I chose to keep on trying because I believed that I would get better at it. I kept telling myself that I had always been able to solve every problem in my life. Mowing the lawn should not be that hard. I was right. I have become a pro. For example, I have learned after many trials that to start the trimmer, I have to feel the tightness in the cord when I pull it, and I must squeeze the trigger all the way. To have a straight edge, it requires coordination among eyes, arms and feet: concentrate on the lawn’s edge, hold trimmer with steady arms and take small steps. When it gets hot, I do the outside half on Saturday and finish up the other on Sunday. Lawn mowing has become another fun game for me.

Strategically, I like to make “a game” out of everything that I do. For lawn mowing, I keep scores by adding up the amount of money that I save. I used to pay $35 per week or $140 per month for lawn care. I use the money to buy shares of a boring, dividend-paying stock. If the annual rate of return is 5 percent over 10 years, I will earn about $22,000 (minus the cost of equipments). I am also aware of the fact that I spend on average about two hours per week to take care of the yard. Someone can argue that if I can earn more than $35 in two hours from doing something else, then cutting grass is not financially smart. However, I like to look at it from a different angle. I do enjoy lawn mowing. For me, it is like playing golf. Besides being a physical exercise, lawn mowing is an activity that allows me to spend my alone time. Believe it or not, for me, it is like meditation. The concentration that I use to keep the mower on a straight line keeps my mind away form other issues for two hours. The morning air and the smell of freshly cut grass often remind me of my home town where I grew up. I used to play in wheat fields with my childhood friends. For me, it is a mental challenge: It is hot and tiring, but I will not give up. So far, three years have passed.

The hardest game in life is the one in which one’s opponent is oneself. To win, one needs to train oneself daily by approaching hardship or challenges with a positive attitude: I can do it. Although we all have heard the phrase before, only mentally strong individuals can actually do it. The trick is to challenge ourselves with simple goals. Slowly, our confidence will grow, and we will believe that no goal is impossible to reach. And, time will be the only uncontrollable constraint because it never waits for us. I am winning the lawn mowing game. Therefore, I will also be the victor of this game when I have $500,000.